Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins

David Bull sits in for Ian Collins: Children are increasingly being exposed to extremist content online, with warnings that young people are becoming “intoxicated with extremism” through social media. At the same time, Meta is facing a landmark trial over allegations surrounding social media addiction in children, while Instagram and Facebook could be forced to change the way they operate. Is social media becoming too dangerous for children, and should much tougher restrictions be introduced?Andrew Gilligan, Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange, examines the impact of social media on children, whether the platforms have become too powerful, and what responsibility should fall on companies such as Meta.Dr Charlotte Littlewood, Senior Researcher at the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy and former Counter Extremism Coordinator, looks specifically at the radicalisation of children online. How are extremist movements using social media to reach young people, and are parents, schools and technology companies doing enough to stop it?We also examine the latest developments surrounding Instagram and Facebook, including the landmark legal challenge facing Meta and the possibility of major changes to how children access social media.Finally, Kevin Foster, former Immigration Minister and former Conservative MP for Torbay, discusses the continuing small boats crisis. A migrant dinghy has been towed to safety by French police, while reports suggest migrants are sleeping under bridges in Dover amid fears of makeshift “Calais Jungle”-style camps. Is Britain losing control of illegal immigration?Social media, children, extremism, radicalisation, Meta, Instagram, Facebook, online safety, immigration, small boats, asylum seekers, Dover, Channel crossings and illegal immigration. Is social media destroying childhood?

David Bull sits in for Ian Collins: Reform UK has unveiled plans for £50 billion a year in welfare cuts, including proposals to stop foreign nationals claiming Universal Credit. Robert Jenrick is also set to set out the party’s plans to overhaul the benefits system. Are Reform proposing necessary welfare reform, or are their cuts too harsh?Lord Daniel Hannan, Independent Peer and Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, examines Reform’s welfare proposals, the scale of Britain’s benefits bill and whether reducing welfare spending can be done while protecting people who genuinely need support. We also discuss claims that a significant proportion of disability benefit claimants would accept support to return to work in exchange for financial assistance.Vanessa Frake, Justice Adviser to Reform UK and former prison governor, looks at the state of Britain’s prisons. With the new HMP Millsike super-prison reportedly operating with hundreds of empty cells, while concerns grow over sentencing changes allowing some serious offenders to avoid prison, is the Government failing to use the prison capacity it has?We also examine cases involving paedophiles avoiding prison under Labour’s sentencing changes, including the case of a convicted paedophile who allegedly changed his name 20 times to conceal his criminal history. Are sentencing and offender identification systems failing to protect the public?Finally, Sarah Pochin MP, Reform UK MP for Runcorn and Helsby, gives her reaction to Reform’s £50 billion welfare plans and explains why the party believes Britain’s benefits system needs such a radical overhaul.Reform UK, welfare cuts, £50 billion, Universal Credit, benefits, foreign nationals, disability benefits, Daniel Hannan, prisons, HMP Millsike, sentencing, paedophiles, Sarah Pochin and Vanessa Frake. Are Reform’s welfare reforms cruel or kind?

Is Andy Burnham losing control of immigration and crime? The Prime Minister faces growing pressure on two of the biggest issues shaping British politics, with a row over asylum seeker accommodation intensifying as new figures suggest thousands more migrants could arrive under Labour’s small boats policy.Brendan O’Neill, Chief Political Editor at Spiked, examines Burnham’s demand that middle-class areas take more asylum seekers, the pressure on local communities, and claims that the Government’s small boats policy is already failing. Is Burnham spreading the burden fairly, or simply moving the problem around?Jamie Jenkins, statistician and political commentator, analyses the latest polling showing Labour moving ahead of Reform as the so-called Burnham bounce continues. Could the Prime Minister call a snap election while Labour is ahead, and what do the latest numbers really tell us about the political landscape? We also look at the extraordinary polling suggesting 20% could vote for Count Binface in the Clacton by-election, and reports that Nigel Farage is preparing to take on Kemi Badenoch at the next General Election.Finally, Colin Sutton, Reform UK Policing & Crime Adviser and Norfolk Police & Crime Commissioner, reacts to growing opposition to the Government’s early release programme. With 50 police chiefs joining the fight against early release, probation officers threatening strike action, warnings that the policy risks more crime, and reports that convicted terrorists could be released within weeks, is the Government putting public safety at risk?Andy Burnham, asylum seekers, small boats, immigration, Reform UK, Nigel Farage, Kemi Badenoch, Count Binface, polling, early release, prisons, probation, terrorism, police and crime. Is the Government losing control?

Should MPs have more protection? The murder of Ann Widdecombe and a police investigation into the Widdecombe suspect over an alleged arson attack at Nigel Farage’s home have renewed questions about the risks faced by Britain’s politicians. How much should we spend to keep MPs and high-profile political figures safe, and what price are we willing to put on protecting democracy?Security specialist Will Geddes examines the growing threats facing MPs and prominent political figures, whether politicians are receiving adequate protection, and why anyone would choose to become an MP given the increasing personal risks.Fraser Myers, Deputy Editor of Spiked, looks at the latest political battle between Andy Burnham and the Conservatives. Labour has overtaken Reform in a new poll, while economists warn Burnham could raise taxes by £25 billion. Is Burnham experiencing a genuine political recovery, and should he take advantage by calling an early General Election?We also examine Kemi Badenoch’s challenge to Burnham ahead of the Budget and whether the Prime Minister is facing a crucial test of his economic agenda.Finally, NHS GP Dr Bhasha Mukherjee discusses two major developments in healthcare: the approval of a new weight-loss pill in the UK and progress towards eliminating hepatitis C in England. What could these developments mean for patients and the NHS?Ann Widdecombe, Nigel Farage, MP security, political violence, democracy, Andy Burnham, Reform UK, Labour, Kemi Badenoch, tax rises, General Election, NHS, weight-loss drugs and hepatitis C. How much should Britain spend to keep its politicians safe?

David Bull sits in for Ian Collins.Can Andy Burnham win back Britain? The Prime Minister is taking his cost of living message around the country as new polling raises questions about the strength of Labour’s support and whether Burnham can turn his premiership around before the next General Election.David Wooding, columnist at The Sun, assesses Burnham’s cost of living tour, the latest bombshell polling on Nigel Farage, Reform UK, Labour and the Conservatives, and the growing political pressure on the Prime Minister.We also examine the mounting controversy over PC Andrew Harper’s killers, after police warned that the public will judge Burnham over the decision to release them early. With prisons under pressure from reoffending, and reports that terrorists involved in a plot to kill thousands could also be released within weeks, is the Government losing control of the criminal justice system?Polling expert Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde, asks what Burnham would actually need to do to win back voters at the next General Election. With Labour pursuing a closer relationship with the EU and concerns growing over potential wealth tax rises, can Burnham rebuild the party’s support?Finally, Sarah Pochin MP, Reform UK, reacts to Nigel Farage’s proposal to explore sending foreign criminals to prisons in El Salvador, alongside the case of an asylum seeker jailed for raping a 13-year-old schoolgirl after posing as a boy on Snapchat. What would a tougher Reform immigration and deportation policy look like in practice?Andy Burnham, cost of living, Reform UK, Nigel Farage, polling, Labour, PC Andrew Harper, early release, prisons, terrorism, immigration, foreign criminals, El Salvador, asylum seekers and the next General Election. Can Burnham win back Britain?

Mark Dolan sits in for Ian Collins today, asking: Should social housing be for British families only? The Conservatives are proposing to stop foreign nationals from accessing council housing, reigniting the debate over who should qualify for Britain’s limited supply of social homes. Is this a fair response to the housing crisis, or does it risk creating a new divide?James Heale, Deputy Political Editor at The Spectator, examines the Tory proposal and whether it can address growing frustration over housing availability, immigration and pressure on local communities.Political commentators Christine Hamilton and Neil Hamilton, former Conservative MP, debate the wider impact of immigration on British communities, including whether the pressures created by migration are contributing to growing civil unrest.We also examine violent protests in Thetford, where protesters attacked homes they believed were being used to house asylum seekers and a female police officer was reportedly seriously bitten during anti-migrant disorder. Has immigration created a level of public anger that politicians can no longer ignore, and where is the line between legitimate protest and criminal violence?Social housing, council housing, immigration, foreign nationals, asylum seekers, Thetford protests, civil unrest, policing, Conservatives and British politics. Should British families get priority for social housing?

Has immigration put Reform back on top? New polling suggests Reform UK has overtaken Labour once again, with immigration continuing to dominate voters’ concerns. As the Government defends its “one in, one out” migrant returns deal, is border control now the defining issue in British politics, and can any party convince the public it has a credible solution?Former No.10 adviser Oscar Reddrop discusses Reform’s resurgence in the polls, why immigration has become the country’s number one political issue, and whether Labour’s approach is failing to win over voters.Ed Shackle, Director and Head of Qualitative Research at Public First, examines what is driving public opinion, why Reform appears to be gaining support again, and whether immigration is reshaping the electoral landscape ahead of the next general election.Guy Dampier, Senior Researcher on Nationhood at the Prosperity Institute, looks at Britain’s migration policy in comparison with other European countries, asking why Spain has been able to remove far more illegal migrants than the UK and whether Britain’s legal framework is preventing effective enforcement.Finally, retired prison governor and author Vanessa Frake reacts to plans for the early release of thousands of domestic abusers, as well as the continuing legal challenge over the release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers. Is public confidence in the criminal justice system being eroded?Reform UK, Nigel Farage, immigration, small boats, opinion polls, Labour, deportations, prison reform, PC Andrew Harper and British politics. Has immigration become the issue that will decide the next election?

Should Britain deploy the Royal Navy to stop the boats? Reform UK has sparked a diplomatic row after proposing the use of British forces to return migrant boats and, if necessary, land troops on French beaches if France refuses to cooperate. Is this a serious solution to the small boats crisis or an unworkable political gesture?Andrew Tettenborn, writer and academic, discusses Reform’s proposals, France’s angry response, and whether stronger military action is legally and practically possible to tackle illegal Channel crossings.Mark Littlewood, Director of Popular Conservatism, examines the growing tensions between Reform UK and Restore as negotiations over a possible alliance appear to falter. Is division on the political right helping Labour, and can the parties find common ground?Finally, former barrister Helen Fields reacts to the decision to release PC Andrew Harper’s killers early despite previous promises, alongside the Government’s announcement that rapists and child sex offenders will be excluded from the early release scheme. Has the balance between justice, punishment and prison reform gone too far in the wrong direction?Royal Navy, small boats, Channel crossings, Reform UK, France, immigration, PC Andrew Harper, early release, prison reform and British politics. Should Britain take a tougher approach to border security and criminal justice?

Mark Dolan sits in for Ian Collins where we ask if the political right unite? Following Nigel Farage’s latest speech, speculation is growing over whether Reform UK and Restore could work together after Restore’s leader proposed a pact to unite the “patriotic Right” under a series of policy conditions, including a burka ban and a referendum on the death penalty.Former government adviser James Price discusses whether a broader alliance on the right is politically realistic, what it would mean for the Conservatives, and whether ideological differences make any formal agreement impossible.Liam Deacon, former Head of Press for the Brexit Party, analyses the significance of Farage’s latest remarks, the growing calls for greater unity among right-wing parties, and whether a divided right risks handing an advantage to Labour.Finally, Richard Tice MP, Deputy Leader of Reform UK, reacts to Nigel Farage’s speech, addresses the latest developments surrounding Reform, and explains whether the party is open to working with other right-of-centre movements or intends to go it alone.Nigel Farage, Richard Tice, Reform UK, Restore, Rupert Lowe, Conservatives, right-wing politics, political alliances and British politics. Can the political right unite before the next general election?